The WB's new 'Big Man On Campus' reality dating series to premiere December 15

By Reality TV World staff, 12/08/2004

What would happen if you cast a college student as the star of ABC's The Bachelor, added a couple of minor twists, and then moved the show's setting to a college campus setting? Viewers will find out soon -- The WB will premiere Big Man On Campus, a new six-episode reality relationship series from Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss, on Wednesday, December 15 at 8PM ET/PT.

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When Big Man On Campuswas first announced back in February, Fleiss made a point to tell Daily Variety that BMOC wouldn't just be "a younger version of The Bachelor." However, based on the show information released by The WB so far, Big Man On Campus certainly appears to be -- except for the contestants ages and its bachelor selection process -- quite similar to its long-running ABC reality show sibling.

Big Man On Campus was filmed on the University of Central Florida's Orlando campus, where Fleiss and his production team searched among the university's 41,000 students to find fifteen college women looking for love. After learning they'd been selected for the program, the co-eds discovered (similar to The Bachelor's just completed sixth edition) that they (and not the show's producers) would be determining who would star as the "Big Man On Campus."

However, unlike on the most recent The Bachelor edition, the women would not be limited to choosing from among two predetermined men, instead the women were allowed to select from among any of the school's male students. And with The Bachelor's more mature men having delivered a pitiful 0-for-5 relationship record, the producer's didn't even attempt to make a legitimate desire to get involved in a long-term relationship a priority for BMOC's college students -- instead the women were simply tasked with "finding the hottest guy at the university."

After presumably selecting their "big man" based primarily on looks, the women (who apparently must themselves be "all beauty, no brains" if, as The WB claims, they didn't see the next "twist" coming) then "discovered" that (surprise, surprise) the reality show that they had agreed to participate in had not just abruptly ended and that they would then compete for the affection of their selected bachelor as he attempted to find his "perfect match" among them.

Billed as "the ultimate collegiate wish fulfillment dating series," Big Man On Campus will feature (Bachelor-style) its male contestant getting to know the fifteen young women via (stop me if you've heard this before) a series of group and one-on-one romantic dates and gatherings as he attempts to find his "Campus Queen." Among the special outings will be pool, toga, and slumber parties, as well as a bikini car wash, a football game, and tailgating at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.

Along the way, BMOC will utilize a Bachelor-like gradual elimination process until only one woman remains. Rather than roses, Big Man's elimination ceremony will center around fraternity-type pins. After giving pins to the ten women finalists selected during his initial ceremony, subsequent ceremonies will consist of BMOC's bachelor asking his eliminated women to return their pins. Along the way, BMOC's bachelor will also meet the women's parents, who will attempt to make sure he is the right man for their daughter, with Big Man On Campus concluding with its male lead presenting his "final pin" to the girl who captured his heart.

Big Man On Campus is produced by Fleiss' Next Entertainment in association with Telepictures Productions and executive produced by Mike Fleiss. Leslie Radakovich is co-executive producer, with Tracy Mazuer serving as supervising producer

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